Physical Address
304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124
IBF lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko has been granted a medical exception by the sanctioning body to retain his title.
The decision of the IBF
Meanwhile, the IBF has ordered #2 Raymond Muratala and #4 Zur Abdulav to fight for the interim 135-lb belt. Lomachencheko (18-3, 12 KOs) must defend the IBF title against the winner of Muratalla-Abdullaev until October 8 to retain the belt.
Lomachenko, 36, needs his IBF title to help his negotiating position for a unification fight with WBA champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, so it’s a tough decision to make.
However, there is no money for Loma to fight the winner of the Muratalev and Abdulov fights because neither of them are well known to casual boxing fans. Moreover, if Muratala (22-0, 17 KOs) ends up facing him, it will be a brutal fight for Lomachenko. That guy can punch and is one of the most dangerous lightweights in the division.
If the IBF allows Lomachenko to go through with the winner, this is one way for Tank to fight the Muratala-Abdullav fight.
Abdulayev (20-1, 12 KOs) has won his last 9 fights since suffering his only career loss, a fourth round stoppage to Devin Haney on September 13, 2019. . Had they fought a rematch, Abdullav Hani would have won because he was doing well before the stoppage.
